‘I Don’t Celebrate 7th Place’

The 7th place in a race doesn’t mean anything, it is the winner that matters. This piece examines why some people feel uncomfortable celebrating and what can be done to make sure everyone has an enjoyable celebration.

The “bucks” is a phrase that has been used to refer to the team in the NBA who finish seventh place. The phrase has grown popular because of its usage by players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant.

Highlights from the article:

  • In eight seasons with the Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal won three titles and appeared in four NBA Finals.
  • When it comes to his current Lakers squad, Shaq stated he doesn’t relish seventh place.
  • This season, the Lakers are having trouble on defense.

Shaquille O’Neal was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and the Los Angeles Lakers honored him by erecting a monument of him outside their stadium. Diesel’s eight famous seasons in Los Angeles, however, do not immediately imply that he is a die-hard devotee. In fact, O’Neal has said that he would no longer attend Lakers games.

Shaquille O’Neal had a fantastic time with the Lakers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmCD OGn-NY

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Let’s take a look back at Shaq’s eight years with the Lakers before we get into why he declared he’s done coming to games.

After being selected in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and spending his first four seasons with the team, O’Neal moved to Hollywood in 1996. As a consequence of the trade, The Big Aristotle has undoubtedly become the greatest player in the NBA.

In eight years with the Lakers, Shaq averaged 27.0 points and 11.8 rebounds, garnering All-Star honors in all but one season and winning the league’s MVP title in 1999-2000. Between 1999-2000 and 2003-04, O’Neal and Kobe Bryant helped the Lake Show become one of the greatest teams of all time, guiding the team to three straight titles and four NBA Finals in five seasons.

Shaq was finally transferred to the Miami Heat in 2004, where he won another championship before going on to play for three more clubs in his career. His No. 34 jersey has since been retired by the Los Angeles Lakers, and he is commemorated by a monument outside the Staples Center.

Shaq has said that he would no longer attend Lakers games.

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal in 2017.

Former Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal in 2017. On March 24, 2017, Shaquille O’Neal talks after his monument was unveiled at Staples Center. Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian

O’Neal recently said on his podcast that he is no longer coming to Lakers games because to the Staples Center’s renaming to Crypto.com Arena.

On the Dec. 9 edition of The Big Podcast with Shaq, he declared, “I’m not even going anymore.”

“Yes you are,” said his co-host Nischelle Turner in response to Shaq’s allegation, but Shaq then went on to criticize the current Lakers squad.

He said, “No, I’m not; who wants to see these guys play?” “… I don’t give a damn about seventh place. I’m a big fan of Steph Curry, therefore that’s who I’m rooting for. I’m going to see them play at Golden State.”

When O’Neal said this, he was most likely joking. You can bet your life savings on TNT sending him and the Inside the NBA team to LA if the Lakers make it to the NBA Finals.

However, the message he was making was very clear: the Lakers needed to start improving, and they needed to do it quickly.

Behind their underperforming Big Three, the Los Angeles Lakers have endured a terrible season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osxPFSdkR E

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The Lakers have probably the best roster in the NBA, but they have yet to find their stride.

The Los Angeles Lakers are 14-13 on the season, enough for sixth place in the Western Conference. Although LeBron James’ team averages 111.4 points per game, it turns the ball over 16.1 times per game, allows 112.1 points on defense, and allows opponents to get 11.4 offensive rebounds each game.

When James has been on the field, he has averaged 26.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists, but his Big Three teammates, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, have both been chastised by the public. When James isn’t in the lineup, they can’t seem to keep the club afloat, and they’ve failed to regularly play above-average basketball.

On the plus side, each of James’ former Big Threes struggled in their first seasons together but still made it to the NBA Finals. So there’s still cause to be positive for Lakers fans. However, with teams like the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns playing so well, there’s cause to be concerned. In the playoffs, LA may not have enough to overcome teams like them.

Overall, the Lakers must resolve their issues sooner rather than later, otherwise icons such as Shaquille O’Neal may refuse to attend their games.

Basketball Reference provided the statistics.

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“The Golden State Warriors” are the NBA team with the most championships in history. They have won 16 championships, and they were also the first team to win a championship after losing at least 15 games in a row during the regular season. Reference: golden state warriors.

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